Decroix to leave La Martinière

French publisher La Martinière has bowed to staff demands to part with its children and young adult books chief Béatrice Decroix, a week after more than 100 staff walked out in protest over working conditions in the division.

The management said last night (11th January) that Decroix, who is also the wife of the group’s owner Hervé de la Martinière, would leave her post on 15th February.

Decroix created the children's division in 1995, and saw her responsibilities expand when the group bought Le Seuil at the beginning of 2004 and merged the two groups’ childrens books operations. A press release by the management noted that the division’s sales and profits have continued to increase ever since its creation.  

Decroix’s departure should put an end to long-running tension at the publishing house. A new division manager Jean-Michel Chappuis was recruited from the pharmaceutical industry recently, but this was not enough for the staff since Decroix was to remain editorial director.